Faqs

Frequently Asked Questions

CommissionsWhen are commissions paid?How are commissions paid?What are the commission percentages?Do I still get commissions on products I buy from my own store?What are some examples of commissions?What kind of commission reports are there?I just received my commission check and the amount of the check isdifferent than the amount on my reports. Why?

Setting up Your StoreHow many stores can I open?Can we have a store that carries all of the products in your database?Can we carry our own products?How can I get my store to load using a URL other than theone provided by Vstore?

Changing Your StoreNone of the changes that I have made to my store are showing up.Is there a way to add all of a particular category to my store rather thanadding one product at a time?There are new categories showing up in my store that I didn’t add. Why isthis happening?How can I link all of my stores together?

Marketing Your StoreCan my store participate in banner or link exchange programs?Is there a way for me to receive promotional information in advance so thatI can use it to market my store more effectively?Is it possible to receive personal information for the customers that arepurchasing through my store so that I can market directly to thesecustomers?Can I use the images from the store on my own site to help promotemy store?

ReportingWhy are there discrepancies between the traffic reports and traffic updatesthat I get from other sources?The “last run” date for my reports has changed but I see no new orders orchanges in existing orders.

Spam PolicyWhat is Vstore’s Policy on Spamming?

MiscellaneousCan I buy from my own store?What is my income tax liability?What is a Vtailer’s relationship to Vstore.com?My store confirmation says that “vital store information is missing.”How do I enable cookies?What browsers do you support?Didn’t find what you were looking for?

Q: When are commissions paid?
A: Vstore.com makes commission payments every 90 days. You are paid commissions on any orders that have been delivered and are no longer covered in our return program (usually 30 days from the date of delivery). Commissions are paid quarterly, on January 15th, April 15th, July 15th and October 15th.

If your commission amount is less than $25, you will not receive a commission check. When your commission amount reaches $25, we will send your check on the next payment date.

Q: How are commissions paid?
A: We mail you a check. If you didn’t fill out your payment information when you built your store, be sure to visit Manage Your Store to update your information. Vstore.com distributes commission checks in the form of U.S. dollars. This information must be kept up-to-date so you can receive your commission payments. Vstore.com cannot be held responsible if this information is incomplete or incorrect.

Q: What are the commission percentages?
A: Vstore.com commissions range from 2-15%. Each product has its own unique commission that can change depending on availability and pricing. The range of commissions for product categories is as follows:

Books: 5-15%

Music: 5-12%

Movies: 5-12%

Sporting Goods: 5-15%

Video Games: 2-10%

Electronics: 2-10%

Computers & Software: 2-10%

As we expand our product offering, we will always provide the best commissions possible. Our number one goal is to help you profit as much as possible from e-commerce.

Q: What kind of commission reports are there?
A: The Vstore.com Administration System contains a section entitled “Reports.” It has many features to help you manage your store, including sales history, and a commission status for each sale.

Q: I just received my commission check and the amount of the check is different than the amount on my reports. Why?
A: To reconcile your commission check with your reports, use the Commissions Report in Manage Your Store. If you add the Commissions Paid for each month covered by your check, it should match the amount on your check.

Q: How many stores can I open?
A: You can open up to ten (10) stores for each Vtailer account. Each account is based on a unique email address. If you would like to increase the number of stores for your email address, please log in to the Vstore.com Administration System and fill out the feedback form.

Q: Can we have a store that carries all of the products in your database?
A: At this time we do not have a store template that carries all of our products. However, it is possible to add products to your store once it has been created.

Q: How can I get my store to load using a URL other than the one provided by Vstore?
A: In order to have your store load at a domain name other than the one provided during the store building process, an independent URL must be purchased. When registering this domain name, choose to redirect the traffic from your domain to your store.

Q: None of the changes that I have made to my store are showing up.
A: To accept the changes made, click the “publish your changes” button. Changes will take affect in approximately 2-24 hours. Please ensure that you properly log out of the Store Administration by clicking “log out” at the top of each page in Store Administration. Errors may occur with changes made if log out is not done properly. Once logged out, please close your browser and reopen prior to reviewing your store front for changes.

Q: There are new categories showing up in my store that I didn’t add. Why is this happening?
A: When our merchandising team adds new products to your store, sometimes they create a new category. When new product categories are added to store templates, they take place in all of the stores of that type (including those that have already been built). If you wish to remove the new categories you can certainly do so using the tools in Manage Your Store.

Q: How can I link all of my stores together?
A: To find information about creating links to your storefronts, please log into Manage Your Store and choose “Build a link to your store” These text links can be placed in the home text of your store or in the customer HTML fields provided in the category settings.

Q: Is there a way for me to receive promotional information in advance so that I can use it to market my store more effectively?
A: We notify Vtailers of promotions via e-mail, so that you can then take the special offers and communicate them to your customers. We do not currently offer any “early bird” program where certain Vtailers can learn of promotions before the e-mail announcement. In most cases, promotions run long enough to give you time to inform your customers.

Q: Is it possible to receive personal information for the customers that are purchasing through my store so that I can market directly to these customers?
A: We are firmly committed to protecting the privacy of customers shopping in Vstores. For this reason, we do not provide Vtailers with information that identifies customers.

Q: Can I use the images from the store on my own site to help promote my store?
A: Vstore.com has a tool called Vcontext which allows you to place products on your web site, with a live link through to your store. To add products to your web site, go to Manage Your Store, and click on Vcontext.

Q: Why are there discrepancies between the traffic reports and traffic updates that I get from other sources?
A: Discrepencies can exist for a number of reasons. The primary reason is a difference in what is considered a unique visitor by the alternate reporting source. A second reason is framing the store within another page or redirecting it to another URL. This causes your store to bypass the code that records the traffic.

Q: The “last run” date for my reports has changed but I see no new orders or changes in existing orders.
A: The last run date that appears on the front page of the reports section in administration is the last time that any of your reports have updated. The individual reports have their own last run dates. If you are seeing a last run date on the front page that is recent and you have no new orders it is probably because your traffic reports have been recently updated.

Q: What is Vstore’s Policy on Spamming?
A: Vstore does not endorse “spamming!” Spamming means
a) sending unsolicited email to persons with whom you have no relationship and/or who have not requested your information or
b) posting off-topic announcements on message boards or elsewhere.

Spamming has become a major problem for the Internet. It threatens the existence of many legitimate and worthwhile ventures on the Internet and abuses the time and resources of those on the receiving end. Spamming will result in the termination of your Vstore account and forfeiture of any and all commissions.

Please do not Spam! There are many other ways to promote your Vstore on the internet. All “spam” messages which reference the vstore.com domain are forwarded directly to our attention. The “spammer” will have their store deleted and will forfeit any and all commissions.

Q: Can I buy from my own store?
A: Of course! Do you think your local grocer buys his vegetables from his nearby supermarket? In fact, if you don’t buy from your own store, where are you shopping? When you shop in your own store, you’ll still get the commission on the sale.

Q: What is my income tax liability?
A: Your relationship with Vstore.com is one of an independent contractor. As such, Vstore.com does not withhold any income tax for you. We are required by law to file a form with the Internal Revenue Service for every Vstore.com Partner who has received $600 or more in commissions during a calendar year. You are responsible for your own declarations of income to the Internal Revenue Service.

Q: What is a Vtailer’s relationship to Vstore.com?
A: That relationship is fully outlined in the Terms and Conditions agreement contained in the Vstore.com Store Wizard. Essentially, you are an independent contractor who gets paid a commission for any sale made in stores that you built with the Store Wizard.

Q: My store confirmation says that “vital store information is missing.” What does this mean?
A: If any of the fields in Step 4 of the store-building wizard are left blank, you will receive this message. You can ensure that we have all of the necessary information by logging into Manage Your Store and clicking on the Your Account tab. Please note that you will receive this message even if just the phone number missing.

Q: How do I enable cookies?
A: In order to use any of the tools, ‘cookies’ must be enabled. Currently your system may not be set to accept cookies. These are tiny text files that are installed on your system (they will not affect your system) when you contact a web site. For example, you have probably noticed that when you have visited a site, clicked around on different links, closed your session and then returned at a later date – the links you clicked on previously are highlighted. The ‘cookie’ remembers what you did the last time you visited. Do the following to enable “cookies” for:

Internet Explorer 5,6

Select “Tools | Internet Options…” from the main menu

Change to the “Security” tab

Click on the “Custom Level” bar on that page

Scroll down to the Cookies section and click on “enable”

Click on “OK” at the bottom of the page

Internet Explorer 4.x

Select “View | Internet Options…” from the main menu

Pick the “Advanced” Option

Scroll through the list until your see an option for “cookies”

Click on the button “always accept cookies”

Click on the “apply” button at the bottom of your screen

Netscape Communicator 6.x

Select “Edit | Preferences…” from the main menu

Expand the “Advanced” menu

Select “Cookies”

To enable: Select “Enable all cookies” or “Enable cookies for the originating web site only”

Click “OK”

Netscape Communicator 4.x

Select “Edit | Preferences…” from the main menu

Select “Advanced”

To enable: Select “Accept all cookies” or “Accept only cookies that get sent back to the originating server”

Q: What browsers do you support?
A: Ordering from our site requires that you are using an SSL-compliant browser. SSL means Secure Socket Layer. Basically, you are shopping on a secure site. Unfortunately, Web TV and some browsers behind company firewalls cannot support secure ordering.

We recommend the following browsers for best compatibility with our system: Netscape Navigator 3.02 or later, or Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 3.02 or later. We recommend that AOL users ensure an AOL browser of 4.0 for PCs and Macs. If you would like to download a new version, click on the link below.

Download the latest browsers

We recommend the following browsers for best compatibility with our system: Netscape Navigator 4.0 or later, or Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 4.0 or later. We recommend that AOL users ensure an AOL browser of 4.0 for PCs and Macs. If you would like to download a new version, click on one of the links to the right.